“Sprouting gardener and equity-driven epidemiologist.”
“Sprouting gardener and equity-driven epidemiologist.”
As the Evaluation Associate for Healthy Places by Design, Sydney Jones develops, refines, and implements evaluation measures to gauge our impact. She also analyzes and reports evaluation findings in collaboration with the leadership team.
In addition to her work with Healthy Places by Design, Sydney is completing her doctorate in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, Sydney earned a BS in biology and a BA in humanities from the University of Texas at Austin and a MSPH in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sydney loves to swim in the summer, run in the winter, and walk whenever possible. In her spare time, she cooks, gardens, and does yoga.
My interest in healthy communities grew from watching the transformation of my hometown, Austin, Texas. In the past fifteen years, prosperity and growth have brought new bike paths, increased public transit, and downtown development to Austin. However, these changes are not benefiting everyone. Rising property values and rents make it increasingly difficult for some residents to stay in their homes. New development is putting pressure on the natural environment as well. The transfiguration of once familiar neighborhoods made me passionate about community-led change strategies that can create equitable, sustainable communities where all residents are safe and healthy.